The present invention relates to a child safety cover for an electrical outlet whereby access to said outlet is restricted to children while the outlet may remain in use. The child safety cover of the present invention comprises; a base having one or more openings through which the normally exposed portion of an electrical outlet is placed, one or more perforations for outlet-attaching screws, cover-engaging vertical female channels near both side edge of the base and a downwardly and outwardly tapered opening in said channel from the channel portion to the frontal surface of the base thereby forming a generally vertically T-shaped void within the base from the upper to lower edge, a plurality of cone-shaped nipples protruding from the rear surface of the base so as to slightly penetrate an adjacent wall surface thereby preventing the child safety cover from rotational displacement, a locking latch located near the lower inner surface of the outwardly tapered opening proximal to each outer edge of the base, a primary cover having a top, two side and front portions wherein each portion is integral to one another and made of a resilient sheet material thereby forming a generally rectangular cube exempt of a back and a bottom, base-engaging channels at each rear-most side edges of the primary cover adapted to slide vertically and longitudinally within the channels within the base, strikes for receiving each base latch whereby as the primary cover is slidably engaged within the base channels, a secondary cover for covering the outlet when not in use having a top, a front and two side portions wherein each portion is integral to one another and made of a resilient sheet material thereby forming a generally hollow rectangular cube exempt of a back and a bottom, base-engaging channels at each rear-most side edges of the secondary cover adapted to slide vertically and longitudinally within the channels within the base, strikes for receiving each base latch whereby as the secondary cover is slidably engaged within the base channels, the base engaging portions of the lower side portions of the secondary cover ramps inwardly against the base lacking latch until such a time when the upper inner surface of the secondary cover contacts the upper edge of the base and the locking latches and strikes align to allow the sides of the secondary cover to spring outwardly thereby snapping the latched into the mating strikes. Either primary or secondary covers are then locked in place until both side portions of the cover are depressed inwardly thereby disengaging the latch and strike allowing freedom to slide respective cover upwardly to gain access to the outlet.
Household electrical outlets present grave danger to infants and young children alike. Countless children are either injured or killed due to electrical outlet related accidents and since these outlets are necessary to the household, disabling the outlets is not a practical solution. One must rely on deterrents to keep children safe from the dangers that outlets could present.
It is desirable for parents and guardians of children to deny the children access to electrical outlets while it is equally desired to maintain usage of said outlets.
The applicant is aware of several attempts in prior art to provide means of denying children access to electrical outlets while maintaining usage of said outlets. For example, reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,936 of Arnoa, issued Nov. 18, 1969, which describes a plug terminal cover assembly designed to encase said plug within a housing adapted to be accessible only by unscrewing a hinged portion of the housing. The device fails to allow for larger transformer-type plugs to be used in this device. Furthermore, this invention has little aesthetic value.
Another example of prior art may be had in referring to U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,757 of Gober, issued Aug. 24, 1971, which depicts a split male threaded retainer adapted to house the plug end within a cavity in a female threaded retainer faceplate. Such an arrangement prohibits the use of larger transformer-type plugs to be used. Additionally, each retainer consists of a plurality of components thereby encouraging possible loss of some of these components.
Another example may be had in referring to U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,078 of Chrones, issued Jan. 24, 1978, which teaches of a pair of hinged covers adapted to snap in place after inserting a plug into the outlet. The cover presents only a minor challenge to open therefore deterring access from children to more limited age. Again, this invention fail to provide sufficient space to use larger transformer-type plugs.
While these and other attempts have been made to provide means for parents and guardians of children to deny children access to electrical outlets while maintaining usage of said outlets, none of these inventions in prior art allow for ease of use for adults, provisions for larger transformer-type plugs to be used, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
It is thus the object of the present invention to provide means for parents and guardians of children to deny children access to electrical outlets while maintaining usage of said outlets, allow for ease of use for adults, provide sufficient space for larger transformer-type plugs to be used, and be aesthetically pleasing in appearance.
In one aspect of the invention, there is provided a plurality of removable wall-penetrating nipples.
In another aspect of the invention, the outlet openings may be adapted for the various outlet shapes and configurations.
In another aspect of the invention, a secondary cover having a thin profile is provided so as to be utilized only to cover the outlet when not in use.
Accordingly, the device of the present provide means for parents and guardians of children to deny children access to electrical outlets while maintaining usage of said outlets, allow for ease of use for adults, provisions for larger transformer-type plugs to be used, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
The utility of this device includes but is not limited to outlets.